Pathways to resilience IV

It is a pleasure to invite you to Pathways to Resilience IV to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, June 14-16, 2017. This fourth Pathways conference will the first one that the Resilience Research Centre (RRC) at Dalhousie University has hosted outside of Halifax, Canada. The RRC is proud to co-host the event with the Optentia Research Focus Area at North-West University, South Africa and with organizational support of the Primary Healthcare Directorate, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town. Our goal is to focus on the Global South where people are often disproportionately challenged by double and triple jeopardies (e.g., being both socially marginalized because of race, gender, ability or class, while at the same time experiencing climate change, armed conflict, and structural inequality).

In the face of the apparently intractable challenges to human wellbeing, knowledge of how and why individuals, families and communities adapt to adversity and transform their worlds has become increasingly important. Pathways to Resilience IV will provide a forum for understanding how this adaptation varies across cultures, how those in the Global South define resilience, and what can be done to meaningfully support health, wellbeing and social justice.

Ultimately, optimal individual, family and community functioning is the reason we study resilience. Pathways to Resilience IV will advance this agenda. We look forward to welcoming you in person in Cape Town and to continuing the conversation. We hope to make a real difference to those who are tasked with responding to adversity, not only in the Global South, but through what we learn, in the Global North as well.